Put a big smile on a kid's face today

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

Wbblazer90

Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2017
Messages
36
At the range after work and was shooting my new Sw 686. Saw a family shooting plastic guns in the lane over, so offered to let them try some steel. A boy no more than 14 years old took me up on the offer. Anyway after a brief lesson in proper firm grip, keeping fingers away from the cylinder gap, and how to put it in single action, I loaded up the cylinder and supervised him shooting it. Did I mention I loaded it with 5 38 spc rounds and 1 .357 mag round, which I indexed as the last charging hole? He handled the first shot properly with a proper firm grip, so I let him continue to finish the cylinder.

The last .357 mag round put a huge smile on his face. Don't worry, it was only slightly hotter than the 38 spc, but with more muzzle flash. Mom took a pic with him and the gun after. I gave him the .357 mag casing as a momento. Seeing that kid with a big smile after shooting my revolver made my entire range trip worth it. Just thought I'd share :).
 
Very cool. I enjoy letting folks at the range try guns they've never shot before.

Your story reminds me of a time I did something similar to a buddy of mine, except the gun was a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan, 5 chambers were loaded with 180 grn .44 spc and the last round was a Buffalo Bore 340 grn .44 mag +P+. Also, he didn't smile afterward.
 
khari said:
Very cool. I enjoy letting folks at the range try guns they've never shot before.

Your story reminds me of a time I did something similar to a buddy of mine, except the gun was a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan, 5 chambers were loaded with 180 grn .44 spc and the last round was a Buffalo Bore 340 grn .44 mag +P+. Also, he didn't smile afterward.
Click to expand...

Lol
 
khari said:
Very cool. I enjoy letting folks at the range try guns they've never shot before.

Your story reminds me of a time I did something similar to a buddy of mine, except the gun was a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan, 5 chambers were loaded with 180 grn .44 spc and the last round was a Buffalo Bore 340 grn .44 mag +P+. Also, he didn't smile afterward.
Click to expand...
Father did something similar with a Mossberg 500. Put the pistol grip on it,put a few skeet shells in and a 3" slug last. Handed it to my uncle to try out and didn't tell him about the slug.

And nice wbblazer90. Always good to put a smile on a kids face!
 
I was shooting my 460 S&W magnum at an outdoor range. After emptying the gun into the target as quickly and accurately as I could, to practice for a large and dangerous animal attack, I realized that all shooting on the range had stopped, and every other shooter was looking in my direction. I just yelled out "Sorry" and went back to business. Everyone else started shooting again too. My 460 has a 5 inch barrel so the noise and fire balls generated by it are rather impressive on an overcast day. That isn't why I bought it, but it is a side effect of the shorter barrel.

After firing a few rounds, I turned around and realized another shooter was standing behind me and he asked what in the world I was shooting. I told him and offered to let him shoot it.

The smile he had on his face afterwards was pretty big. We talked a bit and he was grateful.

It's good to share.
 
Last edited:
khari said:
Very cool. I enjoy letting folks at the range try guns they've never shot before.

Your story reminds me of a time I did something similar to a buddy of mine, except the gun was a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan, 5 chambers were loaded with 180 grn .44 spc and the last round was a Buffalo Bore 340 grn .44 mag +P+. Also, he didn't smile afterward.
Click to expand...

I've seen that turn out not so funny - the victim was a girl who caught the hammer in her face - could have lost an eye because of that stupid "trick" - think about it
 
Merle1 said:
I've seen that turn out not so funny - the victim was a girl who caught the hammer in her face - could have lost an eye because of that stupid "trick" - think about it
Click to expand...
I agree. there are lots of youtube videos of people getting hurt because of exactly this type of thing.
 
Merle1 said:
I've seen that turn out not so funny - the victim was a girl who caught the hammer in her face - could have lost an eye because of that stupid "trick" - think about it
Click to expand...

460Shooter said:
I agree. there are lots of youtube videos of people getting hurt because of exactly this type of thing.
Click to expand...

True. One should know the type of person this kind of trick can be pulled on. A strong person used to firearms versus a frail person are at the extreme ends.

I would be able to pull this off on one of my shooting buddies as I know what they are used to, but I would never even think of doing it to someone new to firearms unless they hinted at me to try out the full power ammo. Even then, I'd have to size up the situation.

It sounds like the OP sized up his situation just fine.
 
I was shooting my WWII Springfield (the gov't arsenal founded during the George Washington administration, not the modern commercial manufacturer) M1 Garand once, and an elderly gentleman came up and inquired about it. He said he hadn't seen one of those since he was mustered out at the end of the Korean War. I handed him a loaded en-bloc clip and invited him to shoot it. He did ask me to load it for him, as he seemed a little tentative to do it himself, so I did so, and put the rifle on safe and laid it on the bench. He hefted it a little, then put it up to his shoulder and flipped the safety off, and put his first round right in the black at 100 yards! You should have seen the smile on HIS face!
 
Yeah I hope so. If I can inspire the next generation to appreciate firearms, especially classic revolvers,then I'll be happy.

Tpelle, same thing with a friend of mine. Had an m1 garand and had an WWII vet ask come up to him at the range. My friend let him fire it, and the vet had tears of happiness in his eyes because he hadn't seen one in years.
 
tpelle

He hefted it a little, then put it up to his shoulder and flipped the safety off, and put his first round right in the black at 100 yards! You should have seen the smile on HIS face!
Click to expand...

Awesome! Just like riding a bike...you never forget!
 
There is something about a revolver that is not captured with shooting a semiauto IMHO. Maybe nostalgia---I dunno, but it is always there for those that shoot mine at the range it seems. I can't ever remember being turned down when offering to let someone shoot a cylinder or two through one of my revolvers at the range.
 
tpelle said:
I was shooting my WWII Springfield (the gov't arsenal founded during the George Washington administration, not the modern commercial manufacturer) M1 Garand once, and an elderly gentleman came up and inquired about it. He said he hadn't seen one of those since he was mustered out at the end of the Korean War. I handed him a loaded en-bloc clip and invited him to shoot it. He did ask me to load it for him, as he seemed a little tentative to do it himself, so I did so, and put the rifle on safe and laid it on the bench. He hefted it a little, then put it up to his shoulder and flipped the safety off, and put his first round right in the black at 100 yards! You should have seen the smile on HIS face!
Click to expand...

Thank you for making an old veterans day. He probably told all his friends about it.
 
tpelle said:
I was shooting my WWII Springfield (the gov't arsenal founded during the George Washington administration, not the modern commercial manufacturer) M1 Garand once, and an elderly gentleman came up and inquired about it. He said he hadn't seen one of those since he was mustered out at the end of the Korean War. I handed him a loaded en-bloc clip and invited him to shoot it. He did ask me to load it for him, as he seemed a little tentative to do it himself, so I did so, and put the rifle on safe and laid it on the bench. He hefted it a little, then put it up to his shoulder and flipped the safety off, and put his first round right in the black at 100 yards! You should have seen the smile on HIS face!
Click to expand...
Grandpa was Okinawa vet. He would flat out refuse to talk about the guns he carried\used in the war- said he couldn't remember. We didn't press the issue. It wasn't until just recently my aunt sent me a box of pictures and one was Gramps in Basic, newly minted with his M1. I hung the pic next to his uniform, flag, and medals.
Wish I could have gone shooting with him, bet he would have shown me a thing or two with the Garand.:(

The LGS let's me shoot my M1 carbines at their indoor pistol range. Always a hoot, have lent it out to a few kids there over the years- fun had by all.

When I was, dunno, maybe 12, a fella lent me his Model 29. First and only time Ive ever shot a .44 Magnum- boy had a big ol' smile on my face for sure!

Not a big .44 guy now, but I did HAVE to get a .357 Model 28, probably had something to do with that day long ago.....
 
NO Surprises ! Sorry, but I consider the loading of a hot round ,without telling the shooter, an act of potential injury serving no good purpose. I've just seen to many people get hurt that way.
 
I was small, probably seven or eight and my grandpa let me shoot his Colt Frontier Scout .22LR and I loved it. He gave it too me right before he passed. My Dad has a S&W model 65 four inch barrel .357 and I shot it when I was older and feeling the recoil and seeing that ball of fire, I was hooked. I probably have a dozen .357's. You did good!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Winblows
  • Locked
S&W 19 - mixing 38 special with 357 magnum
Replies
11
Views
1K
Riomouse911
Riomouse911
G
  • Locked
Cylinder sticks on my Taurus
Replies
3
Views
601
gregormeister
G
R
  • Locked
S&W 66-2 cylinder issue
Replies
15
Views
764
robctwo
R
C
  • Locked
Possible cyldiner face damage?
Replies
6
Views
579
Old Fuff
O
C
  • Locked
S & W mod. 340.......
Replies
3
Views
597
snubby
S
Back
Top